The invention relates to an infant accommodation apparatus.
Numerous types of apparatus for accommodating and/or entertaining infants are known. For example, playpens comprise an enclosure wall supported on the floor within which an infant is placed. Another known apparatus comprises a pair of soft foam semi-circles secured together in order to define a circular area for accommodating an infant.
GB2284546 (Galt) relates to a device for accommodating an infant which comprises an inflatable ring which can be adjusted in volume to vary the space available to the child and a cover releasably attachable to the ring. The device may be arranged in a fully inflated condition wherein the ring is relatively rigid. In this case, the device is said to be suitable for use by relatively old infants, for example aged between 1 and 4 years who may sit or crouch within a safe environment and play with various features associated with the cover. In an alternative condition, it is stated that the ring may be inflated to about 60-70% of the maximum inflation wherein the ring is relatively flaccid. In this case, the device is said to be suitable for infants, between the ages of 0 and 1, who may be laid across the device in a resting position. However, this arrangement is not always satisfactory, and in some cases may be dangerous, particularly as the baby becomes more mobile, since the infant may squirm and become dislodged from its protective position. It is an object of the present invention to address this problem.